Focaccia barese - Bari style focaccia

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There are many different recipes for the focaccia barese or focaccia pugliese, every little village in Puglia, I would say every family, has his onw way to make focaccia.... with semola flour only, with mixed semola and AP flour, with olives, with tomatoes, with onions, or with all of them..... this is just my way to make it since I started and it always works! The main difference between this southern Italian focaccia and the other famous focaccia, the focaccia Ligure, is the use of the coarse hard flour (semola rimacinata di grano duro) this flour is mainly used for handmade fresh pasta making specially in the south of Italy.
The process for the focaccia making is very easy and really everyone can try. It's an old traditional recipe, none fashion or hightec mixer needed ;) you may just use your hands... let's start!!

Makes one large round focaccia

Ingredients:
250gr coarse hard flour also called semolina (Semola rimacinata di grano duro)
250gr AP flour
25gr of fresh yeast (or 12 of dried)
Lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1teaspoon sugar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil for the dough + extra olive oil for the pan
1 boiled and mashed potato, 150gr
300gr Cherry tomatoes
dried oregano
10 green olives
Coarse sea salt

Instructions:
- Dissolve the yeast in 300ml of lukewarm water together with the sugar,

- Make a wet dough from the flour, mashed potatoes, salt and yeast/ water mix. Knead for 5 minutes with your hand. Leave the dough to rise one our two hours on 25-30°C until the dough has doubled size:

- Oil a large round baking pan with olive oil. Knock the dough back and pull it by hand to fit the tray. Oil your hand to avoid the dough to stick to your fingers.

Push halved cherry tomatoes and the halved olives into the focaccia at regular interval.

Sprinkle with coarse salt and oregano. Allow to rise again 1 hour in a warm place (25-30C°).

Bake in preheated oven to 200 to 220°C (depending on your oven) for 25 to 30 minutes. The focaccia is ready when the top gets golden brown.The result must be very crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. Like this:

Buon appetito!!!!!

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